Steve Johnson gets first spring start as Orioles face Blue Jays

The Orioles are back in Dunedin, Fla., today to face the Toronto Blue Jays. Right-hander Steve Johnson will start his first spring game after making his first two appearances in relief.

Jair Jurrjens, who struggled mightily in his last outing against the Minnesota Twins in Fort Myers, Fla., on Thursday, will follow him. Zach Clark, Mike Belfiore and Kevin Gausman are also scheduled to pitch.

Nolan Reimold (sore throwing shoulder) will return to the lineup as the team’s designated hitter. Orioles manager Buck Showalter said the team will see how he comes out of today’s game before it decides when he will return to the field.

The Orioles’ lineup tomorrow will look a lot like today’s, with reserve players starting.

“We’re going to use it as an opportunity to look at guys we might not be able to normally,” Showalter said.

Jake Arrieta and Zach Britton will pitch tomorrow against Spain. Darren O’Day and Jim Johnson were scheduled to pitch in that game as well, but Showalter backed away from that today.

Richard Salazar, the Orioles' 13th-round pick in 2001, will start for Spain.

The Orioles are starting to get a closer look at Conor Jackson at first base after he’s mostly been in the lineup as a designated hitter.

Also, back in Sarasota, top pitching prospect Dylan Bundy, scratched from his scheduled appearance Sunday with a groin injury he sustained while running sprints, was set to participate in the team’s biomechanical testing today. It will count as a bullpen session. And he will be scheduled to pitch in a game again on Thursday.